


the quiet warmth of the morning

by singleshot



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Spencer Reid Needs a Hug, and cuddles, and he gets one, anyway i’m done rambling, i know i’m not the only one who needs him to get taken care of, i mean come on mans needs lovin, little spoon spencer reid, so i wrote my own, the reader does own a coffee shop/bookstore in this one tho, the reader is gender neutral, there wasn’t the kind of fluff i wanted, this is very soft, this one's for everyone since we're all in love with him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:55:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singleshot/pseuds/singleshot
Summary: sometimes, once in a blue moon, your boyfriend spencer reid has the day off.so of course, you take it upon yourself to make sure he relaxes.[this is not beta'd. also can be set in any season you'd like]
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 66





	the quiet warmth of the morning

before you met dr. spencer reid, you really believed that you'd never find someone with weirder job hours than you did.

after a long several years working and saving, with some help from friends and family, you'd finally opened your own place. a bookstore crossed with a cafe, where people could sit and study or take a trip upstairs to peruse your ever-growing inventory of books. it was your favorite place. you opened early, closing relatively late due to popular demand and the constant stream of people. 

one six am shift, the door had been unlocked for barely five minutes before a man had stumbled in. he was rather tall. when he looked up, you found sparkling, if exhausted, brown eyes. the first thing to occur to you was that the man was pretty. your first memory was of the shy way he'd asked if you were open. he then proceeded to ramble about insomnia and the different effects of coffee. you'd liked him immediately.

after introducing yourself and getting a slightly shocked, "dr. spencer reid," back, you handed him his drink. something about the way he looked at the sign denoting the entrance to the library caused you to round the counter. "you can go up there, you know." spencer had blushed, stuttered an "o-of course." he then let you lead him upstairs. 

somehow both of you ended up at the table by one of the windows. across from each other in armchairs, you found that conversation flowed easily, beginning with books and leading into the bookstore's creation. spencer had a tendency to ramble, but he never interrupted you. you found it incredibly endearing. from past experiences, knowing he might worry, you reassured him you didn't mind. 

his phone had interrupted your conversation. he left with profuse apologies, the last thing he said being a promise to come back and explain. he didn't return that evening. or the next day. you wondered if you'd get to see him again.

after a few days spencer made good on his promise. late in the evening, he came back and apologized once more, before you returned to that same table. it was then you found out he was an FBI agent. the sparkle in his eyes as he talked about his job reminded you of yours when you got behind the counter of your place. it was pride. happiness that he could help people, even if the manner in which you both did was different. 

it became something of a routine, although it was more of a surprise when he would reappear. as you did with most of your regulars, you found out what kind of drink he liked. reid liked sweet drinks, which you realized after watching him dump an unholy amount of sugar into his coffee. 

so each time spencer dropped by, you made him a new drink to try. so far, he'd liked every single one, including the cherry mocha and the frozen chai. then you discovered that sometimes spencer either forgot or didn't have time to eat, so he became your unofficial taste tester. 

it was your way of helping this man that you were slowly getting more and more attached to. then one day, at seven in the morning, spencer had stuttered and blushed his way through asking you on a date. you readily accepted, excited. both of you were nervous, but very quickly slipped back into your easy way of conversation. he walked you to your front door, and you cracked the biggest smile the second the door closed.

each time he left for his job, he would text you as often as he could. your relationship progressed, both of you taking things relatively slowly. this seemed to benefit spencer. it felt like he was afraid of something; some sort of insecurity you had yet to find out about. instead of pushing, however, you let him come to you. one evening, as you sat together watching a film that he was translating for you, he did.

spencer asked if his being away for his job was hurting you in any way. seeing the scared look in his eyes broke your heart. you were quick to reassure him, kissing him deeply before reminding him that you both worked odd hours. you were willing to wait for him. you also explained that it would be rather unfair of you to be upset when he waited for you. or when he woke up to an empty bed on days that one of you spent the night. you didn't mind, and neither did he. you both simply understood.

all of this brings you to today. spencer had gotten back very late, you deciding to wait up for him. you'd been dating long enough that you each had keys to the other's apartment; a fourth of his closet intertwined with yours. evidence of his being there scattered around the house. books stacked on the table, two coffee mugs in the sink instead of just one. you absolutely loved it. 

the sound of the key scraping into the lock gets you to sit up. your spencer, looking exhausted and a bit disheveled, walks in. but his face brightens at the sight of you, asking in a quiet voice, "what are you doing up?" "waiting for you, love." standing, you make your way over to him. spencer sets his bag down before engulfing you in a hug. you hug him back just as tightly. "difficult case?" "just long." he responds, voice muffled in your shirt.

"well, let's get you to bed then, shall we?" spencer gives a small smile and nods, letting you lead him to your room. you sit him down on the edge of the bed. you remove his vest and unbutton his dress shirt. he gets up and heads for the shower. opening the closet, you get out some fresh clothes for him, including an oversized sweater of yours that he loves to wear. the shower is quick; before long he's out, standing in a towel as he reaches for the clothes. 

reid gets dressed. you grab the sweater, though, and slide it over his head. adjusting it over his hips, you look up to find a soft smile across his features. "thank you," he mumbles. a fond smile tugs at your lips. taking his hand, you bring your sleepy boyfriend over to your bed, where he fully collapses into it. you love how comfortable he is with you. it's such a change from before, when he was so worried he'd mess up. 

covering him with the duvet, you slip in from the other side before pulling him close to you. his head is tucked just under your chin. "goodnight, spence." there's an answering sound from him. you wait for his breathing to steady, then you fall asleep just as quick. 

for once, neither of you have to be up early. spencer's got the day off, and you don't need to open today. so you wake up later than either of you normally do. you're the first to awaken. his mop of curly hair is the first thing you see. then you notice that spencer is no longer in your arms. he's also topless, the sweater having been discarded at some point during the night. 

the still early morning sunlight filters in from the window. the light bounces across spencer's skin. he looks beautiful to you in the quiet stillness. you resolve not to wake him. it seems like the sun has other plans, because he stirs. a soft groan escapes him. slowly he flips around before exhaling through his nose, eyes still closed. spencer blinks them open, only able to open them halfway. "am i late?" you reach out and put your hand on his bare shoulder, thumb caressing warm skin. "no, babe. you're off today." 

"oh, good," he responds. clearly he's still tired, his eyes slipping shut again. you decide to snake your arms around him, pulling him flush against you. spencer just buries his face in your neck. a half shiver runs up his spine. your left arm takes hold of the covers to tug them over his exposed shoulders. he moves as close as he can to you. you relish in the pleasant warmth, the unhurried feeling that almost never happens. spencer falls right back to sleep, your hand carding through the curly strands at the base of his neck. 

you allow yourself to give in to the pull of sleep. when you wake up next, it's nearing eleven, and spencer wakes up minutes after you force yourself out of bed. it's a rare occasion that your boyfriend gets the day off. you're determined to treat him. you wash your face, brush your teeth, then head for the kitchen. he used to be surprised that you listened, but you found it the easiest way to learn things about him. this is how you know one of his favorite breakfasts is blueberry pancakes. 

humming to some random song stuck in your head, you get the coffee pot going before starting with the pancake mix. you wash some fresh blueberries. spencer appears midway through the first stack of pancakes being finished. he's back in the sweater from last night. arms slide around your waist. you set the spatula on the counter, as well as the batter bowl. then you turn to face spencer, who's much more awake and coherent now. "good morning, spence." "good morning. what are you up to today?' 

cupping his face, you kiss him lightly. his lips are soft, his face warm underneath your fingertips. when you pull back, you both linger for just a second before you lean back. "i..." you pause, just for the dramatic effect, "am treating you today. since you almost never have days off, i am taking this chance." you wave your hand behind you. "so, pancakes. coffee's ready, too." the smile that he gives you could rival the sun's, you're sure of it. "you didn't have to do that." "i know. but i wanted to." his response is another soft, yet loving kiss. "you know i appreciate you so much," he adds. 

then, "well, can i help?" reluctantly you decide to let him. "you could... take care of the eggs?" he maneuvers around you, taking the other spatula from next to the pan. at some point he joins in with your humming as he also gets the coffee ready for both of you. his arm brushes yours, both of you enjoying the close proximity. breakfast is full of kisses and laughs. his smile mirrors your own as he tastes the pancakes and lets out a sound that makes you both blush. determined to keep the relaxed atmosphere, after the kitchen is cleaned, you head to the living room.

what follows is couch cuddles with his favorite documentary on. his head rests on your shoulder, your arms encircling him once again. a blanket is draped over your intertwined legs. the best part is when spencer fully relaxes into your embrace. you drop a soft kiss to the top of his head. his breathing is slow and calm. you feel lucky to see him like this, happy that you managed to do this for him. 

after all, spencer reid turned out to be very much worth the wait.


End file.
